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Whenever parking or getting into my car at parking lots, I frequently get people coming up and asking about the car. Lately I've found that at least half of the people who come over are investors or potential investors who have questions about the ownership experience (one guy had bought stock at $23). They've done their homework and understand the car performance, but want to see what the owners think about the company. They want to know if the ownership experience is on par with Lexus, Mercedes, BMW. My response is usually that the car performs as great as I expected, and while the company still has some customer interface issues to work through, I believe the ownership experience is similar to what you'd get with the competitors - no better and no worse. Has anyone else been approached by investors, if so, what did you tell them?

gary.greene | 7 Mai 2013

I find your post fascinating and almost hard to believe. Perhaps it's because I live in CA and more specifically, in Orange County along the Newport Coast. Model S's are pretty easy to spot now on a regular basis, the "rock star" experience is not something I've experienced, and I'm rarely approached or asked about my 60 kwh blue model, despite my keeping it in showroom condition. I have stock in Tesla but rarely discuss it outside my family. So my question is, where do you live and how many Model S's are in your neighborhood? And how many people have approached you who have stock in the company but don't own a Model S (seems strange)? BTW, this is not meant to discount your experience.

jonesxander | 7 Mai 2013

@Keith, are you saying you don't like the attention? I also live in OC a couple miles inland from you.

I haven't approached the Tesla's owners, just the car itself in a parking lot to check it out. The most I've done is a thumbs up a guy when I was walking into a shopping center and he stopped to let me across in the parking lot.

What I will add, is that one time I spotted a Model S, this was in October 2012 or something like that, again car just sitting in the parking lot, no owner. (Next to TGIF's by South Coast Plaza, black color, if this is your Model S, just know it makes friends while you're at work lol.)

I was walking around the car, just checking it out, taking a picture. Next thing you know a security guard walked out to me, and asked what I was doing. I thought um am I in trouble? I told him, I'm just taking a picture of this car, because it's brand new.

He proceeded to tell me ALL about it, it's electric, it can go 300 miles on a charge, and naming off all the specs us wannabe Model S owners already have memorized lol. At this point I was laughing and in conversation, and this other guy in a 2001 Corolla or such drives up, looking for a spot to park.

He pulls up to us and asks us what we're doing. Repeat above paragraph. LOL. So us 3 non model S owners, none of us look like we can afford it (myself included), had our own little impromptu Model S fan club right there in the parking lot. Complete strangers with no ties whatsoever. lol.

I think we all felt like rock stars that day.

jonesxander | 7 Mai 2013

Correction:

@Keith, No idea where you live, you didn't post

@Gary.greene, right on dude! They are becoming very common here in OC.

mikeflb | 7 Mai 2013

Maybe one day I will get tired of the paparazzi or droves of wannabes that come up to me and the car....but on Monday May 13th when I pick it up in NYC, I think I may be looking for a little bit of attention. Your post gave me a good idea. I could go sit in the car on Wall Street near the exchanges and see if any investors approach me or the car. Hmmm.....With my luck it will be shorties who just got squeezed all day long and want to throw a rock at me. Maybe I'll just cruise around all day on Monday.

FLsportscarenth... | 7 Mai 2013

I love the cruising Wall Street idea... Got a parking ticket on Wall Street back in 1994...

TikiMan | 7 Mai 2013

I live in OC and commute to LA, and am seeing as many as five to ten MS's a day now.

Being I got my P85 Sig back in Nov, I got approached a fair amount early on, but now only occasionally here and there.

The MOST interesting thing I find about other MS owners is; some (like myself) are quick to wave, blink lights, etc when passing, while others won't even glance over, or respond when I wave or 'blink' my hazard lights. Not that I expect every MS owner to respond in passing, however, here in OC there are more than a few MS owners that likely see our cars as just the latest "I'm too cool for you" toy.

Either way, I am also an investor, so I am pleased to see so many on the roads here (regardless if they are real enthusiast or just spoiled).

contact | 7 Mai 2013

Only when it's "out of hiding" !!!

Keith72 | 7 Mai 2013

I live south of Houston in the NASA area. I've only heard of one mention of someone seeing another Tesla nearby. There are quite a few in Houston, so I'll see one there occasionally. I'm not complaining, just surprised at how many investors I've run into lately. I always spend a few minutes showing someone the car if they're interested.

dbullard | 7 Mai 2013

I haven't been approached, but a bunch of the guys at the office have bought stock in Tesla after seeing the car and being taken for a "rocket ride", as I like to call it.

RedShift | 7 Mai 2013

I live in SF Bay Area where Model Ss are very common. I get asked about the car by someone every single day, including a blue collar type investor who said he will be buying the stock as he could not afford the car, and that he was buying TSLA because the he thought car was gorgeous.

I am quite well known at my client's place (big company with thousands of employees) because of my demo of the car on earth day. Outside, I get approached to comment and query about the car a LOT.

GLO | 7 Mai 2013

Three in our neighborhood, 2 at one house, 1 at ours. I get approached at least once a week. We are in Sacramento. None by investors but everyone wants to see the car.

celtrog | 7 Mai 2013

I live Pacific Palisades just south of Malibu.
I put down deposit in Oct.
Took a month to see one in the wilD..
now 2 or 3 a day....

occasional questions.......about the car not the stock

MandL | 8 Mai 2013

I live in Baltimore and got my Sig red Sig in October. I still get thumbs-upped, stopped, asked about it pretty much everywhere I go. Never by an investor yet. And now my next door neighbor finally has his multi-coat red Model S I don't expect it to let up.

If I do get approached by someone IDing as an investor, I'll let 'em know that if I had bought $40K worth of TSLA instead of making a Sig deposit in 2011 I could buy the car cash this week...

I've since been contacted by two companies in town that make parts for the Model S. They want me to bring it over so that the employees can see one in person.

My brother has been a stock broker for over 20 years. He now calls me once a day to try and get insights (as if I have any, except to tell him to sell his Mercedes and buy a Model S).

Ohms.Law | 8 Mai 2013

His neighbor put his deposit down at least a year before he ever met MandL. The coincidence of them both owning a Model S, living so close, is pretty remarkable.

Everyone likes his neighbor's red better. :-)

BernieB1 | 23 Juillet 2013

I work at JPL, where my Tesla is only one of two parked here. Twice I've received emails from folks who looked me up based on my JPL ID on my parking pass and asked about the car. Here at JPL, we like powerful vehicles, that go fast and are briming with technology!

Had communication with an associate who drives a late-model Corvette and drove a Tesla. He says they're a "different experience". I say, why would you dirve a Corvette when you can drive a Tesla? I know, since I sold my 10-year old Corvette to purchase my Tesla. My take is this: Tesla is, of course, a big car, but drives and handles like a sports car.